


Eclectic

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: Wingbeats [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Other pairings and characters will be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-09-01 07:57:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8615908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: Not all dragons and riders are paired, or part of a flock. These are the stories of those who are between flocks.





	1. Sakusa's Secret

“Hey, Komori! Did a dragon request you?” Hoshiumi asked, bouncing up to him. Komori frowned at him, taking in the little dragon’s enthusiastic human form.

“What? Of course not. I haven’t had a dragon assigned to me since we finished our year with our trainee flock,” Komori reminded him. “I’ve been helping with the hatchlings and fledglings a bit, but that’s it.” Hoshiumi tilted his head, his nose wrinkling.

“But you smell like fire-scent. I figured you must’ve been requested by someone,” he explained. Komori shook his head. He hadn’t been requested, and he didn’t really hang out with a lot of dragons. He certainly wasn’t around any dragons who might have bonded with him enough to be putting out fire-scent around him.  
Unless…

“Damn it,” Komori muttered. As much as he appreciated his longtime crush potentially - probably - finally - being returned, he knew that other dragons being able to smell the fire-scent was a complication that would bring trouble for both of them. Hoshiumi beamed.

“So you know who it is?” he asked, eyes lighting up. “Tell me!”

“No, I don’t,” Komori lied. Hoshiumi scowled at him.

“You do, too! I want to know who’s fire-scenting you!” he complained, much too loudly. Komori flinched and glanced around, hoping no one had overhead.

“No one is fire-scenting me,” Komori hissed. “Don’t go spreading rumors, okay? I probably just stood too close to one of the couples.” Hoshiumi scowled and crossed his arms.

“If you say so,” he muttered. Komori rolled his eyes and turned away. He had someone he needed to see, and fast. In his haste, he didn’t see one of his fellow unassigned and dragonless riders, Miya, watching him with a thoughtful - borderline sinister - expression.  
Komori made it to the fledglings’ caves without running into anyone else, and thankfully the young dragons had already fallen asleep for their afternoon nap when Komori arrived. Yamagata and Sakusa, the dragon riders assigned to work with the fledglings, were just getting ready to leave, but Sakusa noticed Komori’s approach and waved, the cloth mask over his face hiding his smile.

Of course, Sakusa hid a lot more than that, as Komori knew, but Komori had never expected Sakusa’s secret to come back to affect him in quite this manner. Hoped, maybe, but never expected.

“Komori!” Sakusa greeted him as he abandoned his conversation with Yamagata in favor of walking over to Komori.

“We need to talk,” Komori murmured. Sakusa blinked, confused. “Alone.”

“Okay. We can go to the usual place,” Sakusa suggested, concern coloring his tone. “Is everything okay?” Komori nodded, and they made their way out of the base and to the rugged cliffs. When they arrived, Komori slipped through a crack in the base of the rock face. Sakusa followed a moment later. The fit was tighter for Sakusa, since he was taller and wider than Komori, but they’d gone through this opening many times before, and both knew they wouldn’t get stuck. Beyond the crack was a huge cave, large enough for a dragon to comfortably stretch their wings, something else the two knew from experience. “So, Komori, what’s bothering you?” Sakusa asked, taking a seat on one of the many smooth rock outcroppings along the wall. Normally, Sakusa didn’t like sitting outside, but in this cave, where everything was smooth stone, with almost no dirt except what blew across the floor from the crack leading to the outside, he didn’t seem to mind. Komori watched him for a second, then sighed and decided to just say it. After all, honesty was usually the best way to deal with his friend.

“Your mask isn’t functioning the way it’s supposed to,” Komori informed him. Sakusa tensed, his eyes narrowing.

“What? Did someone say something?” he demanded.

“Not exactly. No one mentioned you specifically. But you’re the only one I could think of who would be fire-scenting me,” Komori told him bluntly. Sakusa’s eyes widened, and his mask twisted as he struggled to form words.

“I...what...why would you…?”

“Hoshiumi asked me today if I’d had a dragon request me,” Komori sighed. “He said I smelled like fire-scent, but I don’t think he could tell who it was.” Sakusa was still staring at him, and Komori hesitated as he recognized fear in his friend’s eyes. “Sakusa? What’s wrong?”

“You know, I wondered how it was possible for you to have fire-scent on you, Komori, considering you’re not around any specific dragon a lot. But then I saw you sneaking off with Sakusa and I had to wonder why that would be. I guess now I know.”

Komori froze; he knew that voice, and damn it no one was supposed to know about this place. Had they been followed? How much had he heard? Komori turned toward the entrance, put himself between Sakusa and the rider blocking the only way out. Miya Atsumu, an unassigned rider like Komori, was watching them with obvious interest in his calculating gaze. Sakusa growled, a low, inhuman sound that had Komori reaching behind himself to rest a hand on Sakusa’s arm.

“So, Sakusa Kyoomi,” Miya said with a smirk. “The only way you could be one leaving fire-scent on Komori is if you’re a dragon. But that can’t possibly be it, since if I’m remembering correctly, you’re a dragon rider.”

“Fuck off, Miya,” Komori snapped.

“I don’t think you want me to do that,” Miya replied easily. “Because if I just fuck off, there’s nothing to stop me from going straight to the Command Flock with my discovery. I wonder what they’d think of a dragon posing as a human?”

“If you’re going to try to blackmail Sakusa into letting you ride him, don’t bother,” Komori snapped. “We’ll tell the Command Flock ourselves before we let you take advantage of him. And they won’t kick him out; they can’t afford to lose him, not when he and Yamagata are the only ones who are working with the fledglings right now.” Miya opened his mouth to point out that they could always have Miya himself, or Sakishima or any number of unassigned riders, fill in Sakusa’s place, but Sakusa himself interrupted before Miya could speak.

“I couldn’t fly with you even if I wanted to, so don’t bother,” Sakusa growled.

“Sakusa, you don’t have to-” Komori broke off as Sakusa stood, handed his cloth mask to Komori, and then moved to the center of the cave. Komori sighed and leaned against the rock wall, making sure he was out of Sakusa’s way. Miya started to ask what Sakusa was doing, but stopped when Sakusa’s form blurred and grew.

A moment later, a huge, plum-colored dragon with lighter shades of purple on his muzzle and belly and black streaks down his back spread his wings in the dimness of the cave. The lighting was just bright enough to reveal Sakusa’s wings. Miya hissed in surprise, and Komori glared at him. He knew it wasn’t pretty, but…

Instead of one thin, smooth, translucent membrane stretched out to catch the air, Sakusa’s almost maroon wings were in tatters, thick with scars a shade lighter than the whole sections of the membrane.

“I can’t fly,” Sakusa said, completely unnecessarily, considering the state of his wings.

“So that’s why you’re pretending to be human,” Miya realized. Sakusa folded his wings awkwardly against his back, the ragged and uneven membranes refusing to lay flat. Komori walked over to him, and Sakusa crouched so Komori could climb onto his back and help arrange his wings so they lay more comfortably, a task Komori had gotten rather adept at since he'd found out Sakusa’s secret shortly after their graduation from their year of training.

“I pretend to be human because human dwellings are cleaner,” Sakusa corrected him reluctantly. “I went through the training to be a dragon rider because I missed the sky.” Miya was quiet for a moment, then sighed.

“I wasn’t going to ask you to let me fly with you anyway,” Miya told him. “I want more time with the fledglings. None of the current unassigned dragons work well with me, and this year’s trainee flocks all seem to have found unusually good matches for their dragons. Half of them are leaking fire scent all over their riders already, so there’s no chance of me getting any of them after they graduate.” Komori frowned from his perch on Sakusa’s back.

“So you want to make sure you can convince the fledglings to like you. You’re hoping you can get one of them to ask for you,” Komori summarized. Miya rolled his eyes.

“You make it sound so sinister,” he muttered. “I just want the chance to build a relationship with a dragon, okay?” Komori eyed him warily - he knew Miya wasn’t the type of rider to adjust to his dragon’s personality, but no one could deny he was a skilled rider - then sighed and patted Sakusa’s shoulder. This was Sakusa's secret, and therefore Sakusa's decision.

“I’ll talk to Yamagata,” Sakusa said. “I can’t make any promises, since Yamagata’s the one in charge of the fledglings, but I can remind him that you’re skilled, and since Futakuchi won’t let us have Aone to work with the fledglings, I might be able to get you assigned to help with them for a while.” Miya grinned.

“Great! And I’ll pretend I never saw all of...that,” he replied, gesturing toward Sakusa’s large scaled form. Komori bristled - if Miya was in any way slighting Sakusa’s dragon form just because his wings weren't smooth, Komori would be happy to give Miya some scars of his own - but stayed on Sakusa’s back. Miya shook his head at them, then turned and was gone, leaving Komori still sitting on Sakusa’s back, one hand on Sakusa’s ragged wing to steady himself. Sakusa waited for a moment, then twisted his head around to study Komori.

“You know,” Sakusa rumbled, shifting his feet nervously, “You went straight to worrying about my mask not hiding my scent like it’s supposed to instead of actually acknowledging the fact that you thought I might be fire-scenting you.” Komori scooted up along Sakusa’s back until he was settled in front of his wings, where a saddle would sit, a less precarious perch than between the dragon’s wings.

“Because making sure your secret was safe was the most immediate thing,” Komori explained. “I kind of failed at that, though. I’m sorry.” Sakusa huffed, his breath warm on Komori’s cheek as the dragon stretched his neck a little more and nudged the human with his muzzle.

“I should have been more careful, too,” Sakusa pointed out. “Noticing Miya following us was on both of us, not just you. Now can we please talk about the actual reason we’re here?” Komori tilted his head curiously.

“Is it that urgent? I know fire-scent is a big thing, but-”

“You don't understand. I don't want to ruin anything; I didn’t even realize I was doing it,” Sakusa interrupted, eyeing Komori anxiously. “I swear, I didn’t, or I would have stopped. But the mask hides my scent and it dulls my own sense of smell, so I never realized…”

“Sakusa, it’s okay,” Komori assured him. “I’m worried someone will figure out you’re a dragon, and I know you don't want that, but personally, I don’t actually mind you doing it, okay?” Sakusa’s eyes narrowed, and Komori reached up to scratch the dragon’s cheek. “Sakusa, you’re my best friend, and I may or may not have had a crush on you since we were in training together.” Sakusa frowned.

“You didn't know I was a dragon then,” he observed. Komori shook his head.

“No, I didn't. And finding out didn't change my feelings,” he added firmly. Sakusa hesitated, turned his head away, the dim lighting of the cave hiding any expression his scaled face might have had.

“Even once you saw my wings?” he asked quietly. “Even though I'll never be able to fly with you or be paired with you in a flock?” Komori laughed, and Sakusa flinched, only slightly relaxing when Komori scratched at a soft spot on his shoulder reassuringly.

“I told you that my feelings haven't changed. Look, you being a dragon, and not being able to fly doesn't change the fact that you're the person I'm closest to, or that you're beautiful - yes, even with those scars on your wings - or that I’ve tried not to let myself hope you'd return my feelings, even though I might have failed at that too. So, Sakusa, you haven't ruined anything by liking me enough to leave fire-scent on me even in human form.” Komori fell silent, waiting for Sakusa to process that.

“Oh.” Sakusa’s voice seemed smaller, but his tone was colored with surprise and happiness instead of the fear that had hung around him just moments before. Komori smiled and scratched at his soft spot again.

“If you're up for it, we should tell someone in the Command Flock, though,” Komori mused. “I'm all for sticking Miya with the fledglings - let them learn early on he's a jerk - but I don't like him holding this over you.” Sakusa hesitated, and Komori added softly, “You don't have to. I'll stand by you either way. But think about it, okay?” Sakusa nodded, and Komori smiled slightly.

“I forgot how annoying my wings are,” Sakusa said after a minute. Komori blinked at the change in subject, but decided to go with it. Sakusa would have to decide whether or not to tell the Command Flock on his own, and Komori would let him process the idea however he needed to.

“Want me to rub them for a bit?” Komori offered. Sakusa let out a soft humming noise as he considered the offer, then shook his head.

“I'd rather just get back to human form,” he decided. Komori shrugged, gave the soft spot under his fingers one last scratch, then slid down Sakusa’s side to the ground. A moment later, the huge plum dragon shrank into the form Komori was more familiar with and went to the ledge to collect his mask. Only once the cloth was back in place did Sakusa speak again.

“We really need to talk more about...this. Us,” he said. “But for now...let’s head back.” Komori nodded his agreement.

“Just one thing before we go. Can I call you Kyoomi now?” He asked. Sakusa’s eyes widened, and Komori suspected he was blushing behind the mask, if the darkening tips of his ears were anything to go by. Sakusa nodded and reached out like he wanted to hug Komori - which wouldn't have been out of the ordinary; they often hugged or leaned against each other - then paused, and Komori had to force back his disappointment.

“I don't want to accidentally make the fire-scent stronger until I make a decision about the Command Flock,” Sakusa explained. Komori, blinked, then realized his disappointment must have shown despite his efforts to hide it. “And the hatchlings will probably be up from their naps soon…” Komori smiled reassuringly.

“I've waited this long for a sign you might return my feelings,” Komori reminded him. “I can take a little physical distance while you sort things out.” Sakusa made a little noise of protest.

“Not too much distance,” Sakusa insisted.

“Not too much. Just enough so Hoshiumi doesn't ask any more questions you don't want to answer yet,” Komori assured him. Sakusa nodded, apparently satisfied with this, then moved toward the cave entrance.

“Speaking of Hoshiumi, is he somehow related to that little orange dragon? You know, the one who was a fledgling last year, he's in Trainee Flock One now?” Sakusa asked. Komori frowned thoughtfully.

“Hinata? I don't think so, why?”

“Because they're both loud, tiny, too energetic and too nosy,” Sakusa muttered. Komori laughed as they started back toward the base.

“Does that make you related to Ushijima, then? You're both big, purple, a little oblivious to the poor pining humans who-”

“You're being ridiculous,” Sakusa informed him. “I'm not related to Ushijima. He's a dragon and I'm obviously a human.” Komori nodded sagely.

“Obviously,” he agreed. They were both quiet for a moment.

“Motoya?” Sakusa asked. Komori fought back a blush - or tried to - as he glanced questioningly at him.

“Yeah?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to try it out.”


	2. Starlight Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Osamu agrees to meet the dragon Ojiro recommended for him.

“Hey! Miya - both of you!” Osamu turned and waved to Ojiro, who jogged to catch up with them. Osamu stopped to wait, but Atsumu glanced over his shoulder, saw who was calling them, and sped up. 

“‘Tsumu, don’t be an ass,” Osamu scolded. Atsumu increased his pace again. Osamu rolled his eyes and shrugged helplessly at Ojiro as he reached Osamu. “I think he’s afraid you want to bug him about that dragon you think he should try flying with again,” Osamu explained. 

“I mean, he’s not wrong,” Ojiro admitted. “But actually I mostly wanted to talk to you. I knew he’d run if I called him, too.” Osamu laughed and glanced after his twin, who was definitely out of earshot by then. He shook his head, then turned back to Ojiro. 

“So what’s up?” 

“I found a dragon for you,” Ojiro announced.

“You what?” he sputtered. 

“Trust me a little, okay? Just because Atsumu doesn’t believe me-”

“Aran, you’ve been trying to get him to fly with that foxy-colored show dragon. Atsumu wants a dragon who catches attention with their skill, not their scales. You know that,” Osamu interrupted. 

“Kita could be  _ amazing _ in the air if someone like Atsumu would get him away from that useless rider who’s got him now,” Ojiro insisted. “But we’re not talking about Kita and Atsumu right now. We’re talking about you and how I found a dragon I think you’ll really like.” Osamu considered for a moment, then shrugged. 

“What the hell? I’ll meet the dragon, at least. When can I-”

“He’s on a test flight with another rider right now, but he’s due back in a few minutes,” Ojiro told him, grinning at Osamu’s agreement. “If you head over to the landing area you’ll probably catch him.” 

“You’d better come with and introduce us, then,” Osamu said. “Otherwise he’ll probably snub me as soon as he realizes I’m not Atsumu.”

“This dragon wouldn’t do that,” Ojiro told him as they started walking, heading toward the landing area instead of toward the unassigned riders’ barracks, where Osamu had been going with Atsumu. Osamu shot Ojiro a disbelieving look, then shook his head again and continued without saying anything. They reached the landing area a few minutes later and stood to the side, so the area was clear for any dragon who might need to land while they waited. A moment later, a huge purple dragon swooped down and touched down perfectly in the center of the landing circle. His rider slid down his side and waved to Osamu and Ojiro as the dragon shrank to his human form. 

“Were you two flying by yourselves?” Osamu asked, surprised. “Aren’t you two still an intermediate pair for Trainee Flock Two?” The rider, Shirabu, walked up to them, his dragon following with a hint of a frown darkening his expression.

“We are, but their final test is next week, so they’re all practicing in their pairs on their own today. Wakatoshi and I took the chance to fly just us,” the rider explained. 

“It has been...frustrating to not have Kenjirou to myself,” his dragon, Ushijima, added, his lips turning down into a true frown. 

“You’ve had him all to yourself at night,” Osamu pointed out, grinning as Shirabu glared at him. Ojiro turned a chuckle into a cough to try to hide it, but Shirabu still glared at him, too. 

“What are you two doing here, anyway?” Shirabu complained. “Unless I’m remembering wrong, neither of you is a dragon. So what are you going to do at the landing area besides get in the way?”

“I’m introducing Osamu to Hoshiumi,” Ojiro explained. Shirabus eyes widened, but it was Ushijima who spoke. 

“Kourai is a strong dragon, despite his size.” 

“Despite his size?” Osamu repeated, raising one eyebrow. 

“You’ll see. Ushijima’s right, though. Don’t dismiss Hoshiumi just because of his appearance, okay?” Ojiro said, watching Osamu nervously. 

“I don’t care what he looks like. I told you I’d meet him and see for myself,” Osamu reminded his friend. 

“At least one of you listens to me,” Ojiro grumbled. 

“Atsumu still won’t meet Kita?” Shirabu asked, grimacing. Osamu nodded, and Shirabu rolled his eyes. “Just because a dragon’s showy doesn’t mean they’re useless. Wakatoshi’s plenty flashy. So is Iwaizumi. Atsumu refusing Kita just because he’s pretty is ridiculous.” 

“That’s not why,” Osamu corrected. “But his reasoning is still stupid, so yeah he’s being ridiculous.” 

“Kourai is landing,” Ushijima rumbled, turning to look up at the sky. Osamu abandoned the discussion of his brother’s idiocy to scan the sky for - 

“Oh,” Osamu breathed. The dragon hovering over the landing area was small - larger than the orange runt in Trainee Flock One, but not by much  - but his scales were a soft, creamy color, somewhere between white and the palest pink Osamu had ever seen. It was like each and every scale was some kind of flat pearl. His wings were almost transparent, and the way the light shone through them as the dragon hung in the air for longer than Osamu had thought was possible took his breath away. The dragon’s wings tilted, and he dropped to the landing area, talons digging into the dirt as his final wingbeat threw up dust. For a moment, Osamu gaped at the dragon in awe. 

Then the dragon turned his head and snarled at the rider on his back.

“Unsaddle your own ass, then, runt!” the rider shouted, sliding to the ground and storming away without even looking at the four people off to the side. The dragon hissed after him, then twisted to glare at the saddle still on his back. 

“Want some help with that, Hoshiumi?” Ojiro called. The dragon whipped around and blinked at them for a moment, then trotted over to them. 

“Ojiro! Yes,  _ please _ get this thing off of me. It’s too big anyway, and that idiot wouldn’t get me a smaller one. And then he kept trying to get me to do stunts like I’m some huge hulking - oh hey, Wakatoshi, no offense - and anyway, that rider was terrible and If he ever tries to ask me to fly again I’m going to bite him in half,” Hoshiumi ranted, words tumbling out of his mouth.

“Well, hopefully he won’t get a chance,” Ojiro replied. “Osamu, why don’t you get his saddle off of him?” Osamu jumped; he’d been so busy trying to keep up with Hoshiumi’s babbling that he hadn’t really been expecting to be addressed. Hoshiumi blinked, tilted his head, and then crouched low to eye Osamu. 

“Nice to meet you, Hoshiumi. I’m Rider Miya Osamu,” he introduced himself. “I’d love to get that off for you, if that’s okay.” Ojiro nodded approvingly, and Hoshiumi studied Osamu for another moment before nodding and shifting his wings out of the way so Osamu could reach the buckles on the straps holding the saddle in place. 

“Osamu, not Atsumu,” Hoshiumi murmured. Osamu’s fingers stilled on the buckles for a heartbeat, then resumed their work. 

“Yes. You’ve heard of my brother, then?” Osamu asked as he unfastened the last one and tugged the saddle off of Hoshiumi’s back. 

“I’ve heard lots about both of you. Ojiro talks about you both a lot,” Hoshiumi explained. His gaze sharpened, and he continued, “Did he bring you here to meet me?” When Osamu nodded, Hoshiumi straightened and pranced a little in excitement. “Will you fly with me, then? I got nothing out of flying that that other rider.” 

“Not right now,” Osamu said. Hoshiumi froze, and Ojiro jabbed Osamu in the ribs so hard he yelped. “Hey! Quit it! Atsumu and I are meeting up with Komori, Sakusa, and Yamagata to eat soon. I don’t have time!” Osamu explained, dodging a second blow to the ribs. “And then we’re taking food to Yaku because he hasn’t left that rogue dragon’s side since he brought him in three days ago.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t want to interrupt plans you already have,” Hoshiumi murmured, his wings pressing tight against his side. 

“I would,” Ojiro growled, advancing on Osamu, who scurried to hide behind one of Hoshiumi’s legs. 

“It wouldn’t be right,” Osamu insisted. He glanced up and added, “Of course, you’re free to tag along, Hoshiumi. I do want to get to know you, and maybe tomorrow we can fly, if you want to after meeting my brother and my friends.” Hoshiumi was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded decisively and shrank to his human form, his white-blond hair sticking up and a smattering of tiny pearly scales across his nose like freckles. Osamu beamed and picked up the saddle he’d taken off Hoshiumi, then dropped it in Ojiro’s arms. “You can take care of this, right? Since you want Hoshiumi and I to spend time together?” Osamu didn’t wait for Ojiro to answer; instead, he and Hoshiumi set off side by side. 

There was silence in the landing area for a moment after they left. Then Shirabu spoke. 

“Are you sure introducing those two was such a good idea?” 

“You know, I’m starting to rethink my life choices, so no, I’m not sure about anything,” Ojro said faintly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey vote here (https://twitter.com/ikillyourfaves/status/865357381219364864) on who the next chapter should cover!


End file.
